Golf clubs can be damaged from various environmental elements and from various modes of carrying including but not limited to those modes utilized while on the golf course and while traveling with the golf clubs. It is desirable to provide means for protecting the golf clubs carried on the golf course as well as the golf clubs designated for travel, especially on an airline. Various means have been contemplated to provide protection to golf clubs from such environmental elements as a constant drizzle experienced on the golf course in the spring, a sudden shower experienced on the golf course in the summer or even a sudden hail storm. Various other means have been contemplated to protect the golf clubs against damage due to rough or abusive handling during travel, particularly in the baggage section of the airline. Of particular desirability is the protection from damage due to iron-headed clubs chipping or scarring wood-headed clubs during travel due to general storage proximity of all clubs, or displacement due to unauthorized access to any club in the bag.
As a result, various carrying and protection means have been developed and are available commercially for protecting golf clubs while carrying them or while traveling with them. For protecting golf clubs from environmental elements experienced while on the golf course, various types of covers or hoods have been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,025 to Berge, U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,587 to Rainieri, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,276 to Taylor, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,493,828 to Stocks teach flexible covers which are placed over the exposed heads of golf clubs in a conventional golf bag in order to protect the golf club heads from environmental elements when necessary, and are removable from the golf bag when not necessary. When not needed to cover exposed golf club heads, these covers can be attached to the side of the golf bag or stored within the golf bag due to their flexible nature, but cannot provide adequate protection against damage to the golf clubs if used in a traveling situation. In addition, Great Britain Patent No. 476,107 to Lawton, et al teaches a similar hood but with separate compartments and separate accessibility. These separate compartments store and protect wooden-headed clubs separately from iron-headed clubs. As taught by Lawton, a hood may be permanently attached to a golf bag, but the separate compartments in the hood for each type of golf club head require separate accessibility to each separate compartment when desiring a wood-headed golf club as opposed to an iron-headed golf club.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,617 to Anderson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,708 to Sato, U.S. Pat. No. 2,890,061 to Watson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,806,711 to Jacobs, U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,684 to Street et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,248 to Leichardt, U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,082 to Hemme, U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,221 to Spangler, U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,344 to Antonious, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,896 to Mills each teach means for carrying golf clubs wherein the clubs contained therein are selected or accessed by rotating the clubs relative to a fixed external bag surface. Moreover, the carrying means taught by Sato, Watson and Jacobs each teach the golf club handles protruding from the top or exposed open end of said carrying means. Additionally, Jacobs teaches a golf cart comprising a wheel-mounted frame.
Other related art includes an enclosed golf bag with a removable cover as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,563 to Kirschoff, Jr., which provides a golf bag with a removable cover wherein the golf clubs contained therein rotate along with the exterior surface of the golf bag relative to a fixed base on which the exterior surface rests. Further, Patent No. FR 2646-785-A to Meniel teaches a non-enclosed golf bag with a locking mechanism.
Noted disadvantages with the prior art include the fact that golf clubs carried within the golf bag are selected by rotating the golf clubs within the golf bag. To achieve this club rotation, a wide variety of items, such as clips, ball bearings, rollers, cups, guides and pins are needed. The rotating mechanisms are complex and difficult to economically manufacture and to maintain.
Another disadvantage with the prior art includes the fact that the flexible and removable cover does not provide adequate protection to golf club heads which are stored on the same level with each other and in close proximity to each other so as to scar, chip or otherwise damage the surface of the golf club heads due to one golf club head coming into contact with a second golf club head during the bumping and handling experienced while being transported in the golf club bag. In particular, these covers often do not eliminate the need for a separate travel bag required for airline travel.
A further disadvantage with the prior art is the requirement of a separate locking device to prevent unauthorized access to the clubs in the golf bag.
Another disadvantage with the prior art is the limited access to the golf clubs provided by the prior art related to enclosed golf bags. In particular, Street teaches a door on the top of a rotary cap which opens in an upward direction. This door, when aligned with a club head within the bag body allows for the removal of a sole club. Additionally, this club must be removed from the top of the bag in a strictly upward or vertical motion. This method of club extraction is awkward and clumsy for the average golfer.